Column: Twists and wrinkles, but no clear answers in 'Bridgegate'

Jan. 19, 2014

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TRENTON — The Port Authority confirmed what we knew in our hearts, a key appointee of Gov. Chris Christie, David Wildstein, ordered the closure of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, causing traffic snarls and a developing scandal in a state that has seen more than its share of both. What we don’t know is why.

The disclosure came in a statement in response to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who heads a transportation committee that may add to the investigations of the GWB incident underway.

The “why” part has been the centerpiece of debate and discussion since the incident in September. Some thought it was about getting even with Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee, located at the foot of the bridge, for not endorsing Christie’s re-election. Others think it had to do with payback to state Sen. Loretta Weinberg for blocking a judicial appointment. Both seem like small reward for major downside risk.

The most intriguing offering comes from Steve Kornacki, intrepid reporter and host of MSNBC’s “Up With Steve Kornacki” on weekends. He is no stranger to politics in The Soprano State, having worked here for the website PolitickerNJ.

A major accomplishment of Sokolich’s administration is a $1 billion redevelopment project, which is being done in phases. When the lanes were closed, financing had not been secured for the second phase, a plan including commercial, residential and parking facilities.

“Speedy access to the George Washington Bridge — and to those access lanes in particular — is what made the land particularly valuable, both to developers and potential tenants,” Kornacki wrote. He noted a study stressed how important those lanes were, making it possible for anyone working or living in the redeveloped area to get on the bridge even during rush hour.

Emails secured under subpoena show Sokolich’s calls about the closure were ignored, and he wrote to Christie appointee Bill Baroni asking for lanes to be reopened, asking this: “What do I do when our billion dollar redevelopment is put on line at the end of next year?”

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The Record reported Sept. 16 that financing had been secured after an unexpected delay. Sept. 16 was three days after New York’s Port Authority officials ordered an end to the lane closure caused by the bogus traffic study.

Kornacki told me he is reluctant to refer to this scenario as a theory because there are so many unanswered questions. But he has worked in the Garden State long enough to know that development is the mother’s milk of state politics. A billion-dollar project would mean lots of contracts and jobs to hand out. Who would benefit and how from lane closures is not clear.

There is a twist in this. Kornacki worked for PolitickerNJ, the political news website, when it was owned by David Wildstein, the same Wildstein who resigned from the Port Authority and was held in contempt for refusing to answer questions from a state legislative committee about the bridge issue. “I haven’t talked to him in years,” Kornacki said.

Kornacki’s MSNBC colleague, Rachel Maddow, wrote a piece for the Washington Post in praise of reporting in local newspapers that broke this and related stories. One such journalist is Shawn Boburg of The Record. Maddow quoted his paper as saying Wildstein bought the website ShawnBoburg.com and it directs readers to a competitive paper.

The Record reported Wildstein made the site purchase after reporter Boburg wrote a profile of Wildstein and an article on Christie’s patronage hiring. Wildstein was a high school classmate of Christie’s, although the governor says they were not good friends.

That from a TV host who recognizes that long days, persistence, dedication and lots of worn shoe leather have always been the backbone of local news reporting, which is the foundation of journalism, a key element of our way of life — one so important it is protected in our Constitution.